North Korean soldiers cut winter firewood for their units and their officers’ homes

North Korean soldiers from the 10th Corps in Ryanggang province are venturing into the mountains to gather firewood for the upcoming winter. However, much of the wood ends up in officers' homes or is sold for cash, according to a local source. The 10th Corps is stationed in a mountainous province close to the Chinese border. The soldiers' mission is to secure fuel for heating and cooking during the winter.

Typically, each fall, firewood teams are formed by military units and sent to collect fuel in forested areas. This year, firewood teams are being sent one after another as winter preparations commence. The soldiers chosen for these teams are generally the ones officers trust the most. Their duties extend beyond supplying the barracks; they also deliver firewood to officers' homes and sell some timber for cash.

Officers themselves struggle to support their families, so some demand firewood, cash, or goods from soldiers. This practice highlights the economic strain faced by North Korea's military and its officer corps. Soldiers on firewood teams often stay in private homes near the logging sites while working. They fell, saw, and split the logs to fit kitchen furnaces before transporting them.

The firewood is distributed to both officers' households and units, with each family reportedly receiving a full truckload. Some soldiers find life on a firewood team more comfortable due to the freedom and better food compared to barracks life. However, not everyone can secure a spot on a firewood team. Those chosen often meet officers' demands for cash and goods, usually with help from their parents back home.

Soldiers who fail to meet these demands struggle to win officers' favor and are unlikely to be selected. Securing a spot on a firewood team requires a family with enough money to meet officers' demands, a sentiment echoed by many in the military and civilian society.